I ordered a few of these as a cheap alternative for customers who didnít want to spend too much on their pocket knife but still wanted a good quality tool. Spydercoís Tenacious and Persistence seemed like a good alternative to their Byrd line and, in all honesty, I thought theyíd be easier to sell since they carried the Spyderco name.

When I got them I was very happy with the fit and finish and overall quality of the knives. The size and blade shape of the Tenacious was very appealing, I love flat ground blades. The handle was also quite comfortable, with grippy G-10 scales and the option to mount the clip in four different positions (left or right side, tip up or tip down).

I wasnít crazy about the China stamp, though. Itís a stupid preconception of mine, Iíve come to associate ďMade in ChinaĒ and ďMade in TaiwanĒ with low quality products, and thatís no longer the case when it comes to knives. Lots of reputable companies are having their knives made over there, itís the QC that matters. As long as thereís a good company standing behind the product, youíll get a good knife no matter where itís made. The Tenacious is helping me learn this valuable lesson: country of origin means squat. You might have personal reasons to avoid Chinese products or prefer products made in a certain country, thatís up to each individual.

Anyway, back to the knife itself. I decided to keep a Tenacious and was surprised by how much I actually carried it. Iíve got a few good knives to choose from for EDC, I switch around very often. Any knife that manages to stay in my pocket for more than two weeks in a row has to be good. The Tenacious held its place in my pocket against much more expensive knives.
As I said above, I love the blade size and shape. Itís 3 3/8Ē long, which is plenty for my daily needs, with a full flat ground leaf shaped blade (itís a drop point with Spydercoís ďhumpĒ). The flat grind was a big part of why I kept this knife, Spyderco usually offers it in their more expensive folders like the Military or Caly 3, itís a fantastic grind that makes the Tenacious a great slicer. 8CR13MOV is a decent steel, itís 0.8 carbon content allows it to hold an edge for a reasonable amount of time, and itís easy to sharpen. Itís a bit better than AUS8, a time proven performer. While itís not up to super steels like ZDP-189 it is a good quality stainless steel, very adequate for this sort of knife and miles away from the 420 series crap used on other entry level folders. So far, all Iíve needed to keep it razor sharp has been a leather strop with some buffing compound.

The handle is great. Comfortable, with good texture and strong. G-10 slabs over skeletonised steel liners, with a subtle but effective finger guard. It doesnít get any better than that. The handle is drilled to allow the clip to be placed in four different positions, allowing you to choose what works best (a big plus for south paws!).

The clip works well, I would prefer a black clip but that can be fixed in a few seconds. Something some of you might not like is that the textured G-10 scales can cause some wear to pant pockets, I actually like having a bit extra retention. I guess you could sand the area under the clip and make it smoother if it really bothers you.

Everything is held together by torx screws, so it can easily be taken apart and the pivot tension can be adjusted. Opening the blade with the Spyderhole is easy, and the addition of sulphur bronze washers makes it smoother. Knives at this price point are usually pinned instead of screwed together and donít include features as the sulphur bronze washers, big thumbs up to the folks in Golden for including both.

It uses a liner lock, mine locks up like a vault with no blade play in any direction. This type of lock allows for an open handle design that makes cleaning the knife easy.

Weight is around 4 ounces, quite pocket friendly.

Iíve been using this knife for most of my daily cutting needs, both in the city and at my familyís ranch. I havenít done any sort of extreme testing, just regular stuff like cutting rope, leather, food (lots of food!) and whittling wood. I just love it, perfect size (big enough to be useful, compact enough to have with you 24/7), great ergonomics, and good blade design.

I think of it mainly as a tool, but I wouldnít hesitate to depend on it as a last ditch defensive weapon. The handle affords very secure purchase for strong slashing cuts and stabs, the lock is strong and the blade is easy to deploy quickly.

I left the best for last: it costs around $35. It has to be one of the best bang for your buck knives in the market right now.

N.D.

02-01-2010 12:54 AM

Great job and thanks a bunch for doin/postin the reveiw!

N.D.

fxstchewy

02-07-2010 01:35 PM

I have one and have found it to be a good knife especially for the money, i'm also thinking of getting the smaller version. Good review. :)

Franciscomv

02-07-2010 04:57 PM

The smaller version, the Persistence, seems every bit as good as the Tenacious. Both are amongst the best bargains in the knife market right now.

I've got some other reviews, but work has been hectic and I haven't had time to finish them. I'm probably going to focus on budget knives from a couple of brands, and then move on to some pricier ones.

CA357

02-07-2010 05:12 PM

Thanks for the review Francisco.

I don't care for the shape of the spine of the blade. The humped back and the hole bother me for some reason. I seem to prefer more traditionally shaped blades. Maybe I'm just old and set in my ways.

N.D.

02-07-2010 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CA357
(Post 226054)

Thanks for the review Francisco.

I don't care for the shape of the spine of the blade. The humped back and the hole bother me for some reason. I seem to prefer more traditionally shaped blades. Maybe I'm just old and set in my ways.

I feel ya on that Spydie hump thing but in the past I've just always tried real hard to just ignore it and to not look directly at it, lest it damage my vision like looking directly at the sun will! lol

Though I gotta say that a well done flat grind, gets my attention pretty quick. :D

N.D

Glasshartt

02-07-2010 06:18 PM

I love my spydies. I usually have at least 2 on me at all times (well, almost all times :p ) Their customer service is phenomenal. I wish they still made their kitchen knives. :( When I used to cut tires all the time, my serrated Endura would almost jump out of my pocket to do it. It goes through the tire sidewalls like a hot knife through butter. The cricket is great as a small utility knife, but watch out, once you get "spyder bit" you are in trouble, they get into your blood. Next, I want to get the pink Native to go with my other pink spydies. I am trying to work a deal to trade a Temperance for the Native.

Franciscomv

02-07-2010 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CA357
(Post 226054)

I don't care for the shape of the spine of the blade. The humped back and the hole bother me for some reason. I seem to prefer more traditionally shaped blades. Maybe I'm just old and set in my ways.

I still don't like the looks of Spyderco (and most modern!) folding knives as much as I like a nice carbon steel slipjoint. It took me forever to try out my first Spyderco, but after using it I was hooked. They just work.

Quote:

Originally Posted by N.D.
(Post 226086)

I feel ya on that Spydie hump thing but in the past I've just always tried real hard to just ignore it and to not look directly at it, lest it damage my vision like looking directly at the sun will! lol

Though I gotta say that a well done flat grind, gets my attention pretty quick. :D

N.D

There are a few "hump-less" models that you might find more appealing, like the new (flat ground!) Native 4, which has a spear point blade. Or some of the clip point designs like the JD Smith (mine should arrive on Tuesday!).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glasshartt
(Post 226088)

Their customer service is phenomenal. (...) The cricket is great as a small utility knife, but watch out, once you get "spyder bit" you are in trouble, they get into your blood. (...)

Amen! The way this company deals with their customers is excellent, many people could learn a few things from Sal Glesser when it comes to customer service. The bite is true as well, they just have so many well designed folders at such decent prices that I can't help buying them.

N.D.

02-07-2010 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glasshartt
(Post 226088)

I love my spydies. I usually have at least 2 on me at all times (well, almost all times :p ) Their customer service is phenomenal. I wish they still made their kitchen knives. :( When I used to cut tires all the time, my serrated Endura would almost jump out of my pocket to do it. It goes through the tire sidewalls like a hot knife through butter. The cricket is great as a small utility knife, but watch out, once you get "spyder bit" you are in trouble, they get into your blood. Next, I want to get the pink Native to go with my other pink spydies. I am trying to work a deal to trade a Temperance for the Native.

I've had a few of em, I liked the light WT ease of carry and speed of deployment there great UT knives but I gave most of em away though cause I just dislike cutting most things with serrated blades but in spite of this my fav Spydie is still the large Civilian, I still have 2 of them, good luck on your trade and keep cuttin those tires; just to keep in practice that is lol.:)

Once upon a time I took custom cutlery classes as a teen and started making Knives and also repairing others knives I've never lost my passion for sharp things, but I also learned a lot along the way about what makes a blade cut well
(Especially when I studied the Traditional Japanese Blade.)

and

IMHO The Biggest factor to great cutting is "BLADE/EDGE GEOMETRY" .
And that's why I am so happy every time Spydie or any other Quality Knife CO. offers a good flat or gently convex ground blade, most especially if they have Zero EDGE BEVEL or can easily be modified to have a ZERO EDGE and if the price is good that is just all the sweeter for all of us. ;)

N.D.

N.D.

02-07-2010 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Franciscomv
(Post 226154)

I still don't like the looks of Spyderco (and most modern!) folding knives as much as I like a nice carbon steel slipjoint. It took me forever to try out my first Spyderco, but after using it I was hooked. They just work.

There are a few "hump-less" models that you might find more appealing, like the new (flat ground!) Native 4, which has a spear point blade. Or some of the clip point designs like the JD Smith (mine should arrive on Tuesday!).

I've looked at the native and I like it!;)
I don't think I've yet seen the native though.

Amen! The way this company deals with their customers is excellent, many people could learn a few things from Sal Glesser when it comes to customer service. The bite is true as well, they just have so many well designed folders at such decent prices that I can't help buying them.

That's just awesome and I agree 110% that all CS should be like that! :)